U.S. patent number 5,762,946 [Application Number 08/717,188] was granted by the patent office on 1998-06-09 for foam pad for the care and topical treatment of the skin.
This patent grant is currently assigned to L 'Oreal. Invention is credited to Jean-Louis H. Gueret.
United States Patent |
5,762,946 |
Gueret |
June 9, 1998 |
Foam pad for the care and topical treatment of the skin
Abstract
The invention relates to foam pads for the care and topical
treatment of, including for making up, the skin, nails, hair and
mucosa. These pads can comprise and diffuse a care and topical
treatment product which is encapsulated between two sheets of foam.
They are provided with at least one weld which gives them softness
and flexibility.
Inventors: |
Gueret; Jean-Louis H. (Paris,
FR) |
Assignee: |
L 'Oreal (Paris,
FR)
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Family
ID: |
9482809 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/717,188 |
Filed: |
September 20, 1996 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Sep 21, 1995 [FR] |
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95-11111 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
424/401; 424/402;
424/434; 424/486 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45D
33/34 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A45D
33/00 (20060101); A45D 33/34 (20060101); A61K
007/43 () |
Field of
Search: |
;424/434,78,486,401,402 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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772967 |
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Nov 1934 |
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FR |
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474732 |
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Nov 1937 |
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GB |
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Primary Examiner: Page; Thurman K.
Assistant Examiner: Faulkner; D.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier
& Neustadt, P.C.
Parent Case Text
This application is a continuation of PCT 95-11/11 filed Sep. 21,
1995
Claims
What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters: Patent
of the United Stated is:
1. A foam pad having open or half open cells for the care and
topical treatment of the skin, nails, hair and mucosa, comprising
at least one sheet of foam equipped with a hinge weld forming a
rim, the hinge weld being set back from the periphery of the pad,
allowing the portion of the pad constituting the rim to yield about
the hinge weld acting as a hinge.
2. The pad of claim 1, which comprises two sheets of foam of
substantially identical size and contours, which are superposed
edge to edge and between which there is encapsulated a powder of a
water-soluble or water-emulsifiable product, the two sheets being
held together by the weld.
3. The pad of claim 2, wherein said product is a cosmetic,
dermatological or pharmaceutical product.
4. The pad of claim 1, wherein said pad is from 3 to 30 mm
thick.
5. The pad of claim 1, wherein said pad is from 4 to 20 mm
thick.
6. The pad of claim 5, wherein said pad is from 6 to 12 mm
thick.
7. The pad of claim 1, wherein said weld forms a rim with a width
ranging from 0.1 to 20 mm.
8. The pad of claim 7, wherein said weld forms a rim with a width
ranging from 1 to 15 mm.
9. The pad of claim 8, wherein said weld forms a rim with a width
ranging from 1.5 to 10 mm.
10. The pad of claim 1, which comprises a plurality of concentric
welds.
11. The pad of claim 1, wherein said foam has cells with a width
ranging from 1 .mu.m to 3.5 mm.
12. The pad of claim 1, which comprises a weld which is partially a
peripheral weld and partially a hinge weld.
13. The pad of claim 3, wherein said product is selected from the
group consisting of soaps, shampoos, make-up removers, make-up
products, sun products, care creams, plant or animal extracts,
vitamins, proteins, enzymes, mineral salts and trace elements.
14. The pad of claim 2, wherein said product has a unit grain size
ranging from 50 nm to 3.5 mm.
15. The pad of claim 12, wherein said unit grain size is from 100
nm to 300 .mu.m.
16. The pad of claim 16, wherein said unit grain size is from 5
.mu.m to 150 .mu.m.
17. The pad of claim 1, which comprises a single sheet of foam.
18. The pad of claim 1, which is impregnated with a product for the
treatment and topical care of the skin.
19. A method for producing foam pads having open or half open cells
for the care and topical treatment off, the skin, nails, hair and
mucosa, comprising at least one sheet of foam having open or
half-open cells equipped with a hinge weld forming a rim, the
method comprising
(i) superposing said sheet(s) in such a way that a pocket is
formed, and
(ii) thereafter welding said sheet(s) to form a hinge weld, the
hinge weld being set back from the periphery of the pad. allowing
the portion of the pad constituting the rim to yield about the
hinge weld acting as a hinge.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising
(iv) impregnating said foam pad with a solution or an emulsion of a
care and topical treatment product, and then dehydrating said foam
pad.
21. The method of claim 19, comprising
(i) arranging a product at the center of a sheet of foam,
(ii) then superposing said sheets in such a way that said product
is arranged between the two sheets, and
(iii) finally welding said sheets to each other in such a way as to
encapsulate said product.
22. A foam pad having open of half open cells for the care and
topical treatment of the skin, nails, hair and mucosa, comprising
at least one sheet of foam equipped with a weld enclosing a portion
of the surface of the foam pad, the weld forming with the foam pad
within the boundary defined by the weld, a structure for retaining
a product for such care and topical treatment, the weld being at
least in part a hinge weld forming a rim, the hinge weld being set
back from the periphery of the pad, allowing the portion of the pad
constituting the rim outside the part of the boundary defined by
the hinge weld to yield about the hinge weld acting as a hinge.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to novel foam pads for the care and topical
treatment of the skin, nails, hair and mucosa. These pads include a
hinge seam forming a rim.
2. Discussion of the Background
Pads are normally used for spreading a pasty or powdery product on
the skin or mucosa, while at the same time effecting a gentle
massage of the surface to be treated. Impregnated with water, or
with an aqueous or aqueous/alcoholic solution, or employed on their
own, they also serve to remove a product which has been spread on
the skin, for example a cleansing milk. They are applied to the
skin with a greater or lesser degree of pressure, depending on the
use being made of them. Consequently, these pads are expected to
give a firm hold in the hand and to have a pleasant feel.
Pads for the care of, and/or for making up, the skin are known, see
for example GB-A-0474732 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,204,202. GB-A-0474732
describes pads comprising two walls between which a powder is
encapsulated. The two walls are joined to one another by radial
seams starting from the periphery of the pad. One of the walls is
covered by an impervious member, adapted to retain a quantity of
powder adjacent to the thin wall. This impervious member prevents a
complete mixture and foaming of the powdery product with water,
when the pad in dipped into water.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,204,202 describes a pad comprising a circular sheet
of foam. A notch has been cut in the thickness of this sheet to
form a pocket in which a product can be inserted. This pad is made
of a latex body with a high density and a latex skin having small
pores. Such a material prevents a complete mixture and foaming of
the powdery product with water when the pad is dipped into water.
Neither of these documents mentions or suggests a pad having a
hinge seam which forms a rim.
Other pads known in the art are made of cotton or of foam. Pads
made of cotton, like pads made of very thin foam, lack strength and
grip and this makes them less easy to use. Although pads made of
thick foam do not have these disadvantages, they have a rough feel
in the area of the seam. Being rigid, they do not permit a surface
with irregular contours to be reached in a uniform manner.
In addition, in all sectors, and particularly for the care and
topical treatment of the skin, the busy consumer is looking for
ready-to-use products which are easy to manage, are disposable and
are at least as efficient as traditional products.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus, one object of the present invention is to provide novel foam
pads which have a pleasant feel and provide a firm hold in the
hand, and with which it is possible to follow all the contours of
the surface to be treated, and which are able to distribute a care
or topical treatment product.
This and other objects which will be apparent hereinafter are
solved by the present invention. The invention relates to foam pads
for the care and topical treatment of, in particular for making up,
cleansing, gently treating and caring for, the skin, nails, hair
and mucosa, these pads comprising at least one sheet of foam
equipped with a hinge weld forming a rim. They are more manageable
and softer than pads of the prior art. The pads of the present
invention have wide pores to allow a complete mixture and foaming
of the powdery product with water.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 represents a pad according to the invention, equipped with a
hinge weld, in a perspective view, and with a part cut out.
FIG. 2 represents a pad according to the invention, equipped with a
weld which is partially a peripheral weld and partially a hinge
weld, in a perspective view, and with a part cut out.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The pads of the present invention comprise at least a single sheet
of foam.
These pads can be impregnated with a product for the care and
topical treatment of the skin, including a make-up product.
These pads can also comprise two sheets of foam of substantially
identical size and contours, which are superposed edge to edge and
between which there is encapsulated a powder of a water-soluble or
water-emulsifiable product (such as a cosmetic, dermatological or
pharmaceutical product), the two sheets being held together by at
least one weld along their periphery.
As used herein, powder means a loose powder, dispersed in a binder
or compacted. The powder can include unit grain sizes ranging from
50 nm to 3.5 mm, preferably from 100 nm to 300 .mu.m, and still
more preferably from 5 .mu.m to 150 .mu.m.
Suitable welds give the pad a flattened spheroidal shape, as well
as a better hold in the hand, which a sheet of foam of the same
thickness does not possess.
According to the invention, as long as the pad is dry, the product
remains encapsulated between the two sheets of foam. When it is
wetted, the product dissolves or emulsifies and then diffuses
towards the surface of the pad so as to be applied to the surface
which is to be treated.
Suitable foams employed to make the pads according to the present
invention can be of any type, including polyester, polyether,
polyethylene, polystyrene, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride foams,
etc. These foams are foams with open cells or half-open cells,
whose size depends on the grain size of the powder. In practice,
these cells have a width ranging from 1 .mu.m to 3.5 mm.
The two sheets of foam can be of different types, density,
thickness or surface characteristics. For example, the sheets can
be covered with woven fabric, flock or elastomer. They can be of
different colors, relief and thickness.
The weld can be formed by any means known to the skilled person,
for example by adhesive bonding, ultrasound, high-frequency waves,
or mechanical compression.
The weld can be set back from the periphery (hinge weld). On either
side of the weld, the foam sheets diverge away from each other and
form a bulge. Thus, the outer edge of the foam sheets forms a rim
which is more or less rounded depending on the width of this rim.
Between the central part of the pad and the rim, the weld acts as a
hinge: when the pad is moved across the surface to be treated, the
rim yields like the end of a brush, and this allows it to reach
zones of accentuated relief, for example the surface of the face,
and more especially the wings of the nose and the contours of the
eyes.
In addition to the advantages described hereinabove, when
impregnated with water, the pad with hinge weld diffuses the
product in a more regular and uniform manner than other types of
pads. When a pad according to the prior art, once wetted, is
subjected to the pressure of the fingers, it allows drops of liquid
to escape, whereas the pad with hinge weld according to the
invention does not form drops and deposits an even liquid film over
the surface to be treated. In addition, the flexible and rounded
rim of the pad of the present invention is more flexible and softer
than the rims of the pads of the prior art.
The thickness of the pad of the present invention, that is to say
the sum of the thicknesses of the two sheets of foam without
product interdisposed, is from 3 to 30 mm, preferably from 4 to 20
mm, and still more preferably from 6 to 12 mm.
The weld can be of variable width and must be adapted by the
skilled person to the intended use. The rim can have a width
ranging from 0.1 to 20 mm, preferably from 1 to 15 mm, and still
more preferably from 1.5 to 10 mm. The rim width is defined as the
distance between the edge of the sheet(s) of foam and the weld.
The products employed in the pads according to the invention can be
cosmetic, dermatological or pharmaceutical products for topical
application. They are introduced into the pads according to the
invention in the form of a powder, solid gel or cake. Examples
which way be mentioned are soaps, shampoos, make-up removers,
make-up products, sun products, care creams, plant or animal
extracts, vitamins, proteins, enzymes, mineral salts, trace
elements, etc.
Theme products are made into the desired physical form by all the
means which are known to the skilled person: lyophilization,
atomization, dehydration, crystallization, etc. The external shape
of the pads thus produced is usually round, but they can also have
another geometric or fancy shape. The weld encloses a portion of
the surface of the pad.
The weld can be concentric to the shape of the pad, but it can also
be eccentric or transverse with respect to the shape of the pad.
The pad can have several hinge welds, preferably concentric
ones.
According to a variant of the invention, the weld can be partially
a peripheral weld (situated on the periphery of the pad) and
partially a hinge weld, in which case only part of the perimeter of
the pad has a rim.
The pad according to the invention being equipped with a hinge
weld, the rim can additionally be closed by a peripheral weld, the
two welds being substantially concentric.
The weld can have different profiles and reliefs as a function of
the tool which is used to form the weld. For example, it can be
flat, convex or concave, or can have a fancy profile.
A method for producing pads according to the invention consists of
arranging the product at the center of a sheet of foam, then
superposing the sheets in such a way that the product is arranged
between the two sheets, and finally welding the sheets to each
other in such a way as to encapsulate the product. The sheets are
welded by any means known to the skilled person. The peripheral
welds are obtained by cutting the foam level with the weld.
Alternatively, pads can first be produced as described above
without product. Thereafter, the pads can be impregnated with a
solution or an emulsion of the desired product, and then
dehydrated.
The pad represented in FIG. 1 comprises two sheets 11 of foam, a
topical treatment and care product 12 placed between the two
sheets, a hinge weld 13 which pinches the sheets of foam together,
and a rim 14. The foam is such as defined above.
The pad represented in FIG. 2 comprises two sheets 21 of foam, a
topical treatment and care product 22 placed between the two sheets
and a weld which pinches the sheets of foam together. This weld is
a peripheral weld 23.1 over a first part of the perimeter of the
pad and a hinge weld 23.2 over the other part of this perimeter.
The hinge weld 23.2 forms a rim 24.
Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present
invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is
therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended
claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as
specifically described herein.
* * * * *